Estes Park Opinion

What some say it is like being a worker in Estes Park

There are many descriptions of the worker experience. An interview this week with a major restaurant business leader revealed the following points of interest:

• Some residents of Estes Park will stay away from the downtown business district most of the time in the summer until fall when, "I can take back my town." The town experience is consequently poorly understood by some, as a result. Better educating residents about worker needs and aspirations would help us better address the various challenges our workers face.

• Most restaurants cannot survive without hiring at least some international workers; ninety percent have at least one international employee.

• Workers who are foreign born constitute about twenty-five percent of the restaurant staffs during the four month summer season.

• The typical international employee works long hours, sometimes at more than one job in order to save money for college or one's family back home. Year around workers are almost entirely from some part of the United States and normally are not saving much for college expenses; some question the return on investment when pursuing higher education.

• The business volume is often ten times greater in the summer than in the winter. Most restaurants just try to make it through the slack times of winter.

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• In the view of the interviewee, business leaders throughout Estes Park work diligently to treat employees fairly and are sensitive to the differing needs of international workers.

• Enrollment schedules of a growing number of colleges better accommodate seasonal worker schedules who require four months over summers to complete a full length of employment.

• There are national organizations that screen international candidates who will work for four month assignments then travel for several weeks before returning home. Short term work visas are issued by the U.S. Government which requires departure for their homes at the end of the visa.

• Living conditions for workers vary somewhat, with many well situated and others in substandard conditions. Workers of all types may commit forty to forty-five percent of their paycheck to rental when one third is more industry standard.

• Some workers trade off work time in trade with another parent for child care services and comment on the shortage of such day care services in the area.

• A general description of all restaurant workers indicates that many are in a survival mode, just making it to the next paycheck. Having opportunities to hike in the park, get to know fellow workers and have intercultural experiences are often lacking as workers maintain heavy workloads.

• A "best" statement from this successful business leader is that, "Remember that we are all immigrants, too."

A seasonal international worker's perspective

Interviewing a seasonal worker from Macedonia revealed he is working on a restaurant job and is in the United States for his second assignment. Petra Janushev came here alone this year and it took him twenty-six hours of travel to make the trip. He has joined five other Macedonian men and women.

He believes that he has a really good business manager to work for and is happy being here and working hard at his job. He and his Macedonian friends rent a good facility, according to Petra.

The only down side is that he misses his family. Petra is having a positive experience and is happy in what he is doing and learning. He looks forward to a trip to Las Vegas, Los Angeles and the West Coast when he completes his four months in Estes Park.